Aurangabad petroleum dealers demand oil depot

Aurangabad MP Chandrakant Khaire on Thursday stressed on co-ordination among senior officers of all the three state-owned oil marketing companies for setting up an oil depot here at the earliest.TNN | April 14, 2017, 15:38 IST

Aurangabad: Aurangabad MP Chandrakant Khaire on Thursday stressed on co-ordination among senior officers of all the three state-owned oil marketing companies for setting up an oil depot here at the earliest. In a joint meeting of the company officers, petroleum product dealers and other stakeholders held here in the city, Khaire asked the companies to prepare a detailed proposal (of the proposed depot) so that it could be discussed at a higher level and speed up the long pending process of setting up a depot.

Khaire who is also a member of petroleum and natural gas consultative committee of parliament said he would take up the matter in their meeting on April 21.

Khaire said that the depot is essential to meet the growing demand of fuel in the region, especially, in the backdrop of the upcoming Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in Shendra Bidkin. He further took the opportunity to convince the oil companies that the proposed depot would be economically feasible project for the oil marketing companies.

Recently, Khaire had discussed the issue with union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

City-based petroleum product dealers also urged the company officials to speed up the process and set up the depot in Shendra.

Expressing its desire to set up an oil depot in Shendra, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) had requested for about 110 hectare land. Accordingly, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has offered to provide the land but as a matter of policy, the government has asked all the three oil companies to jointly set up the depot.

As of now, petroleum product dealers in the city and neighbouring areas have to bring fuel from depot located at Panewadi near Manmad.

Aqeel Abbas, secretary of petroleum dealers association said that the existing depot located at Panewadi is insufficient as it also caters to the other parts of the state apart from the region. “If a new depot is set up here, it would help in resolving fuel crisis and benefit the petroleum pump owners,” he added.

“To save the environment and to fight climate change, my government has planned a major campaign. By 2022, we want to generate 175 GW of renewable energy. In the last three years, we have already achieved 60 GW or around one-third of this target,” he said.